Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday dear Northern Transvaal

Northern Transvaal first played as a Union today, exactly 70 years ago, when they went head-to-head with Transvaal in a friendly match in Johannesburg on April 18, 1938.

The loose forward Ferdie Bergh captained Northern Transvaal in their first match but unfortunately his team lost 9-22 after the halftime score was 0 all.

The legendary Danie Craven, who played for the Springboks in the 1930's and later served as the President of the SA Rugby Board, played scrumhalf for the team and Lucas Strachan, who become a well known figure in Northern Transvaal rugby in later years played in a loose trio with Bergh.

Northern Transvaal only played friendly matches in 1938 because the Currie Cup competition did not took place in that year.

In 1939 the Currie Cup was contested again and in this year WP lifted the Cup, however, after the war (there were no Currie Cup games between 1940 and 1945) Northern Transvaal won the Currie Cup for the first time when the beat WP 11-9 in the final.

The only living member of the 1938 team that the Blue Bulls are aware of is LM Smit who is currently living in Middelburg.

Smit said he received the first ever Northern Transvaal blazer because he was number 1 on the team list and he is very proud to say that he still wears that same blazer from time to time.

"Those were good days. I can't remember much of our first game against Transvaal but I do remember that we played in light blue jerseys and my task was to keep the opponents' forwards busy in order to create space for our backs."